ORCADefamation, gender and hierarchy in Late Medieval YorkshireBronachKaneauthorThis article focuses on a late fourteenth-century defamation suit from the ecclesiastical court of York to demonstrate the granular nature of gender identity and homosocial cooperation and competition across status groups. In this case, a dispute between two gentry families developed into an accusation of sexual dishonour against the father of an unmarried pregnant woman. The analysis of networks of homosocial interaction reveals the gendered composition of reputation and identity at the social level. Male anxiety solidified around honesty in sexual and personal dealings, while concerns about social and religious status arose as the scandal became widely publicised. The study qualifies works on masculinity and insult in late-medieval society, demonstrating the significance of sexual honour and speech in men’s disputes over reputation. It also illustrates the extent to which patriarchal authority could be enforced through control over the sexual activity of dependent men. Despite the involvement of gentry and lower aristocratic parties, the perspectives of women and non-elite men are visible and reveal the limits of patriarchal control in gentry households. Thus, the article delineates the nature of disputes between elite and lower-status men, tracing the boundaries of reputations, as well as their protection and maintenance in periods of conflict.DL Northern Europe. Scandinavia2018-09-10Taylor & Francis (Routledge): SSH TitlesArticle

For work being deposited by its own author: In self-archiving this collection of files and associated bibliographic metadata, I grant ORCA the right to store them and to make them permanently available publicly for free on-line. I declare that this material is my own intellectual property and I understand that ORCA does not assume any responsibility if there is any breach of copyright in distributing these files or metadata. (All authors are urged to prominently assert their copyright on the title page of their work.)

For work being deposited by someone other than its author and where such work is not accompanied with a signed declaration by the author: I hereby declare that the collection of files and associated bibliographic metadata that I am archiving at ORCA is in the public domain. If this is not the case, I accept full responsibility for any breach of copyright that distributing these files or metadata may entail.

Clicking on the deposit button indicates your agreement to these terms.